Chapter 9

Throwing Statistics a Curve

In This Chapter

arrow Understanding key terms used in statistics

arrow Testing for central tendencies in a data sample

arrow Analyzing deviation in a data sample

arrow Looking for similarities in two data samples

arrow Analyzing by bins and percentiles

arrow Counting items in a data sample

Just pick up the newspaper or turn on the television or the radio. We’re bombarded with interesting facts and figures that are the result of statistical work: There is a 60 percent chance of rain; the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 2.8 percent; the Yankees are favored over the Red Sox, 4-3; and so on.

Statistics are used to tell us facts about the world around us. Statistics are also used to give us lies about our world. Statistics can be used to confuse or obscure information. Imagine you try a new candy bar and you like it. Well, then you can boast that 100 percent of the people who tried ...

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